The disclaimer for this report is that there are a multitude of styles, dancers, and attitudes
and all of these are evolving all of the time. I have been learning about and performing this
dance for over fifteen years now, and I am always learning something new. Personally speaking,
there is a particular attitude in dance which is I think is very important. In order to be an
excellent performer and to be truly "oriental" there is a feeling of "centeredness" and self-
possession which expresses itself in a particular kind of serenity and self-confidence. The dancer
who rushes her movements, or looks frantic and insecure not only doesn't look oriental, but
he/she is a very poor dancer. It is the poor dancer who is more likely to resort to moves that are
in poor taste in order to keep her audience interested. The better dancer is fascinating to watch
because everything he/she does is interesting and full of messages.

The dancer who has truly mastered her art can relax, have fun and make it look like what
she is doing is easy. She always knows where her center is and works from there. This is both a
physical location and a mental serenity which is essential to an artist. In Eastern dance, as in
eastern modal music, the melody wanders but always comes back to the center. The dancer
knows where her movement originates from, and she always works from there and returns to
there. Thus it is not necessary to cover large floor spaces to fully express her art. It is not even
necessary to have a theatrical "concept" or story because each little sequence of movements tells
a story, is a small flirtation or a special moment shared with the audience.

This "centeredness" is the inner dance. It is the special contribution of Eastern culture in
general to appreciate this inner dance, this delicate play of emotions. From the moment the
dancer steps out she must take control of the space. No matter what the reaction of the audience,
an experienced dancer knows how to both acknowledge her audience and also retain control of
her space. She knows how to make them feel that it is a privilege that she shares these special
moments with them. This is what Raks Sharki is really about. The dancer who is a real artist
truly ‘steals your heart" (which is what the word "Ghawazi" actually meant). But today the
dance has traveled across oceans to become a truly worldwide phenomenon. Those of us who
carry on the tradition today only hope that more people will come to appreciate it's true meaning
and joy of expression.

Traditions Evolve

Oriental Dance has evolved in many different countries in many different ways, while
still retaining the distinctive associations of oriental dance. It's origins are lost in the mysteries of
ancient fertility cults, and that dance in the east continues to have religious associations. The
survival of this ancient dance, despite cultural and moral prejudices, is a tribute to the appeal it
has to the human spirit. As Curt Sachs has noted, "when people want to celebrate, they dance".
Modern western dancers have no more relationship to these old cults than do children who hunt
for Easter Eggs or people who hang greenery in their houses at Christmas; both of these are
ancient pagan symbols. The women (and men) who dance today do so for very practical reasons:
because it is enjoyable, it is excellent exercise for muscle-toning, and an opportunity for social
involvement. In other words, for fun, fitness and friendship.

The fact that the dance has survived to this day, and continues to develop, testifies to its
enduring appeal. In modern western culture female images are often presented negatively, and
consistently exploited. By contrast, oriental dance presented in an appropriate atmosphere is a
positive statement about the beauty, strength and grace of all that is feminine. It was a dance
originally intended to be for women, by women. For Eastern women, oriental dance has a
distinctively different message because it is generally performed in gatherings of women only. In
these situations, it affirms the ability of a woman to maintain her beauty (and therefore her power
over her husband), and hearkens back to the power of the ancient fertility cults. In the Middle
East today, the fertility of a woman is still a prime factor in calculating her value.

Oriental dance as performed in nightclubs and stage situations in the United States, tends
to be a solo performance; the costumes are very flashy, and sometimes very skimpy. What is
unfortunate is that it gives the impression that only those who are young and beautiful should
dance, and that they perform only for the pleasure of the men in the audience. It is even more
unfortunate that these situations also tend to involve audiences who are inebriated or rude, and do
their best to demean the dancer. This is a case of confusing the art of the dance with the
character of the dancer's audience. Therefore, belly dancers are constantly having to defend the
respectability of the dance to the general public.

Today women around the world are developing new versions of this ancient dance form ,
which will someday be referred to as "traditional". Here in the United states American Tribal
Belly Dance began in the 1960's with Masha Archer and Jamila Salimpour, and was fully
developed by Fat Chance Belly Dance. Jamila's daughter Suhaila now performs a very flashy,
very professional, Las Vegas style version of belly dance. Horatio Cifuentes brings his training
as a professional ballet dancer to oriental dance. There are also women exploring various
theatrical and ritualist presentations of "Goddess" dancing. There are many women (and men)
performing various styles of Raks Sharki. There a whole range of styles to choose from, and
each has it's place in the glorious history of the dance. Long may it continue!